Agencies & Associations

When the U.S. Dept. of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) needed a partner to develop resources that would help keep teen workers safe this summer, they looked to National Electrical Contractors Assn. (NECA).

NECA participated in OSHA's 2008 Teen Summer Job Safety Campaign national kick-off event in New York City on April 21. Other kick-off events have been organized for around the country through OSHA's Regional Offices. NECA executive director for standards and safety Mike Johnston represented the electrical construction industry at the New York event, where he spoke on the need for all teens to learn about electrical safety, regardless of the jobs they may have this summer.

“Teens find jobs for the summer at a range of construction jobs, from landscape to house painting,” Johnston said. “They could encounter electrical hazards on any them.”

To support Johnston's message, NECA created a special brochure “Learn Before You Earn: Electrical Safety on Your Summer Job” for teen workers and their employers. The brochure classifies electrical hazards by working environment, such as around water, in the air, and “on the ground.

The brochure offers real-life examples of hazards and safety precautions, such checking for any overhead high-voltage lines before using a long-handled pool skimmer to clean a pool. “Many workers don't realize how close an electrical connection from a high-voltage line may be to where their working,” Johnston said. “Employers should be telling teens to always look around for electrical connections or hazards before they start a new task.”

A PDF copy of the brochure can be downloaded at www.necanet.org.

The Electrical Generating Systems Assn. (EGSA) reported earlier this year the launch of its Two-Tiered On-Site Power Generation School program. The new Basic and Advanced Schools are designed to better meet the needs and diverse backgrounds of those who attend the schools. The result is a more pertinent training experience in fewer days.

EGSA's On-Site Power Generation Schools provide a complete overview of the components of an On-Site Power generation system. The program provides students with a unique opportunity to familiarize themselves with the technical aspects of the On-Site Power Generation Industry.

The Basic School is a general, but still technical, overview of on-site power generation equipment, and is designed for those who are working in non-technical positions such as sales or marketing, administrative, or company management positions and for those with less than 3 years of experience working in the industry.

The Advanced School offers more technical and in-depth coverage of the equipment, and is designed for those who have attended the basic school. Designed for professionals employed in engineering, project management, or service positions; the Advanced School features covers technical aspects in a more in-depth manner and offers three new modules: “Starting Systems,” “Emissions,” and “Noise Control.”

For more information, go to www.egsa.org.

Several members of the Electrical Generating Systems Assn. (EGSA) were singled out at the association's annual spring convention in Bernalillo, N.M.

2008 EGSA President Warner Bauer presented Ron Hartzel of Eaton Corp. with the William Timmler Award. Among Hartzel's contributions has been his service to the Codes and Standards Surveillance Committee and leadership of the Electronic Media Committee.

Dale Slemp of Western Power Group, Inc. was recognized with the Leroy H. Carpenter Award. Slemp has been involved in EGSA for more than 30 years.

EGSA established an Instructor Appreciation Program to recognize the contributions of instructors—and their employers—who have devoted significant time and effort to the school, and who have taught in the school for at least five years. Given awards were: James Wright of Marathon Electric, 25 years of service; Tim Hinde, Woodward Industrial Controls, 10 years of service; Dennis Roundtree, Onsite Power Inc., 10 years of service; Terry Gaines, Basler Electric, 5 years of service; Steve Lawrence, Woodward Governor Controls, 5 years of service; and Dave Alley, ANNA Inc., 10 years of service; Ole Haaland, ANNA Inc., 10 years of service.

Bauer also presented Terry Gaines, Basler Electric, with the James Wright Educator Award. Gaines has been an EGSA On-Site Power School instructor for 5 years and now teaches the Automatic Voltage Regulator modules in both the Basic and Advanced Schools and the Generator Protection module in the Advanced School.